Displaced Palestinians shelter in a cemetery. Photo Hatem Khaled/ Reuters
In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, the Israeli military on Friday ordered the evacuation of two areas in southern and central Gaza that had previously been designated as humanitarian safe zones. The decision came after Israeli forces claimed that Hamas militants were using these areas as bases to launch mortar and rocket attacks on Israel, according to reports from Reuters.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued warnings via leaflets and text messages to residents in the northern part of Khan Younis and the eastern area of Deir al-Balah. These regions had become temporary shelters for tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing intense fighting in other parts of Gaza.
“The advance warning to civilians is issued to minimize harm to the civilian population and allow them to move away from areas of active combat,” the military stated in its communication.
Earlier, the IDF confirmed it had struck a site in Khan Younis that had been used to launch rockets towards the Israeli community of Kissufim on Thursday. The military reported discovering weapons, including shoulder-launched rockets and explosives, in the area.
The evacuation orders came as negotiations in Doha entered their second day, with mediators attempting to broker a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with the majority of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents displaced multiple times since Israel launched its military campaign following the Hamas attack on October 7. Even areas previously designated as safe zones have seen casualties from Israeli airstrikes, raising concerns over the safety of civilians caught in the crossfire.
Israel continues to accuse Hamas and other militant groups of deliberately positioning their fighters within civilian areas, a charge that Hamas denies.
As the conflict drags on, fighting has become increasingly fragmented, with Hamas shifting towards guerrilla tactics, deploying small units of fighters to carry out hit-and-run attacks, complicating efforts for a clear military resolution.
